Art Therapist
Art Therapists help people understand their problems and guide them
to solutions through the creative process. An art therapist is concerned
with the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with mental, emotional,
medical, or physical disabilities. An art therapist uses art, as well
as traditional means of therapy, to lessen an individual's frustration,
promote healthy development and diminish the effects of a disability.
Art has also proven to be a useful tool in diagnosis and mental health
evaluation, particularly for children.
Nature of Work
Education Required
Personal Qualities
Job Outlook and Advancement
How to Prepare for a Career
Resource Information
Art
Therapist PDF brochure 
Nature of Work:
- Draws upon knowledge of art, psychology, and the young student artist
to elicit art objects that are important elements in the healing process
- Provides children with the means to express feelings of anger, depression
and aggression
- Assists children to discern the difference between reality and the
fantasies that often accompany extreme stress, environmental events,
and mental or emotional disorders
- Uses impressions and conclusions from the artist’s work to
set goals that support achievement of educational objectives
- Participates as member of an interdisciplinary team where insights
and conclusions are shared for planning a child’s educational
program
Education Required
- A graduate degree that includes standards developed by the American
Art Therapy Association—coursework includes psychopathology,
diagnosis and assessment, principles of art therapy, ethics and standards
of practice, and normal developmental sequence
- Professional Registration is offered by the Art Therapy Credentials
Board. To qualify as a registered art therapist, an individual must
complete a minimum of 1,000 direct client contact hours in addition
to the educational requirements.
Personal Qualities
- Artistic ability
- Creativity
- Sensitivity to human needs and expressions
- Emotional stability
- Patience
- Capacity for insight into psychological processes
Job Outlook and Advancement
- Art therapy is a growing occupation as it gains acceptance as a
viable therapeutic and evaluative tool, but it is still a relatively
rare field with less than 5,000 in the U.S.
- Art therapists with advanced degrees may teach at the university
level and do research.
- Most art therapists continue their own art career while practicing
as an art therapist.
How to Prepare for a Career
- Visit or volunteer at a site that has an art therapist
- Develop and maintain personal artistic ability
- Contact the American Art Therapy Association, Inc., for career
information
Resource Information
American Art Therapy
Association, Inc.
1202 Allanson Road
Mundelein, IL 60060
847-949-6064
E-mail: arttherapy@ntr.net
Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc.
401 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-527-6764
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